I’ve stalled long enough. I can no longer play the “I correctly picked USF would go 9-3 and play Oregon in the Sun Bowl” card anymore (although it looks good on my resume).

Before last season, as I’ve reminded you 297 times (make that now 298), I picked USF to finish 9-3 and play Oregon in the Sun Bowl. And, miraculously, that’s what happened. So instead of quitting while I’m ahead, I’ll take another shot at embarrassing myself by predicting this year’s USF record and bowl opponent.

The number of regular season wins for USF in 2008?

Since I went with the Here Comes The Sun video last season, I again turned to another Beatles song for inspiration for USF’s number of regular season wins. Ironically, at the end of the video, you can hear chants of “hold that line” and “block that kick.” Doesn’t really mean much in the grand scheme of things, but I thought it was neat.

So 9 it is. Nine is a magical number. Just ask Eliot Spitzer, who was “Client No. 9.” And there’s a No. 9 Love Potion and the Beatles song “Revolution 9.” USF, of course, has finished the past two seasons with nine wins.

Breaking it down game-by-game, I think USF will lose at Cincinnati and West Virginia (don’t be alarmed USF fans, I’ve predicted USF would lose the last two years to WVU, so I’m not exactly on a hot streak). Plus I think there’s one other loss somewhere in there – either to Kansas or a head-scratching, how-did-USF-get-upset-by-(Fill in the blank team).

So with nine wins and at least two conference losses, I think the Bulls will be headed to the inaugural St. Petersburg Bowl to play East Carolina. That’s it: USF 9-3 vs. East Carolina in the St. Pete Bowl. You won’t hear another word about last year’s 9-3 vs. Oregon in the Sun Bowl prediction … well, maybe not.